What to do about 'The Donald'

My brother Joe, who is suffering from late stage cancer and is the only other Republican in my family, is a former marine in love with his country. He called to tell me that he had just heard Trump speak.

Trump, he proclaimed enthusiastically is, "saying everything I believe in. I might not vote for him but boy, he's the only one talking about the truth."

My husband, also a former marine, was just as enthusiastic about Donald Trump's talking points. I agree with everything that Donald Trump is ranting about on the campaign trail. In fact, I've written numerous columns making similar points about illegal immigration and what it has done to the security of our nation. It is wonderful that he is scorching the 2016 trail to the presidency and rattling the cage of the GOP elite.

The reason I mention my husband's and my brother's reaction to Trump is because Sen. John McCain railed against him. The Arizona senator attributes Trump's popularity coming from his having "fired up the crazies" within the party. The very last thing McCain should be doing is insult those who served their country as U.S. Marines. Donald Trump has not "fired up the crazies". He's ignited the passions of the GOP's Howard Beales. They're far from crazy but they are mad as hell and don't want to take it anymore.

Trump is not PC and doesn't care what people think of him. To many who view politicians as puppets of the powerful elite, this is refreshing. However, he has a tendency to speak without thinking and criticizing McCain by disparaging his war record has dampened his appeal. McCain's record in the Senate is up for grabs but not the former POW.'s service. This is especially insulting coming from someone who used repeated deferments to escape serving during wartime.

What to do about 'the Donald' (as his first wife Ivana used to refer to him)? If his GOP rivals would listen to what he's spouting about instead of responding to the media spin, they'd realize why he's so high in the polls.

Trump is appealing to Americans who are angry and like that anchor in the film Network, Howard Beale, they are sick and tired of all politicians who refuse to admit that this country has lost its way.

They are angry that the people they send to Congress are just as bad as the ones they voted out. These are called RINOs. Trump is ranting about the same things that are making all conservatives livid. Look at what happened to tea party candidates? My own congressman, Michael Grimm, was just sentenced to 8 months in prison for tax fraud that Charlie Rangel and other Dems commit routinely yet get reelected. I knew he was doomed when he told a tea party town hall meeting that no one in Congress on either side of aisle cared about anything except getting reelected. The GOP elite threw this former FBI agent and marine under the bus.

Immediately after the murders of those four marines and a sailor by a Muslim jihadist, Trump blasted the gun-free zones that prevented the men from fighting back at their attacker. People are angry at politicians who refuse to acknowledge that we are at war with those who consider themselves Muslims. ISIS has waged war on America and especially our military yet we have allowed our men and women in uniform to be unarmed sitting ducks in gun-free zones.

It is absolutely true that illegal immigrants are committing crimes like rape and murder. Certainly Trump could have been more judicious in his language by not excluding innocent Mexicans but his salient points are correct. The border needs to be secure and Obama is not doing it. By blaming former Texas governor Rick Perry, however, for not doing what only the federal government can do shows Trumps ignorance of who controls international borders. Nevertheless, Donald Trump has brought the issue front and center and that is what's drawing the crowds to his rallies.

Another point that Trump brought up is why didn't we get oil from Iraq after so many of our soldiers died there to free them from Sadaam Hussein's barbarous regime? Are we so afraid of criticism from the MSM and anti-war groups like Code Pink that we end up dying for nothing? Another good point that no one in the GOP elite is bothering to answer.

That being said, it is unlikely I would vote for him in the GOP primary for the simple reason is he is not qualified to be the most powerful person in the world. Neither was Barack Hussein Obama and look how that's turned out. But if Donald Trump is still polling high enough to get into the debates, let him.

I truly suspect that most of those attending the Trump rallies and cheering him on have no intention of voting for him. They just like what he is saying and I don't blame them. However, what will come out after the debate will be the hard fact that Donald Trump has no answer to the difficult issues plaguing the nation's national security. He is totally unsuited to be the Commander in-Chief. So was Barack Obama but I blame the ones who stayed home and let the Marxists win.

After 9/11, I would have loved Donald Trump to succeed Rudy Giuliani. He would be a great Mayor of New York City. He is a New Yorker, born and bred, brash and ruthless. He knows how to get things done just don't look too carefully on how he does that.

He is also not a very nice man. Who can forget the fact that he brought his mistress to the same ski trip he brought his wife, Ivana Trump? Character should count for something in our presidents even though we haven't made that one of our priorities in the past.

Let's not make the same mistake next year. It's time for the silent majority to come out en force to save this nation. In these dangerous times, it is vitally important that the next president we elect loves our country ,the military and our veterans. There is only one candidate who is supported and surrounded by the Navy Seals in campaign photos and that speaks for itself. Guess who.

Comment by clicking here.